1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to wellbore servicing fluids. More particularly, this disclosure relates to wellbore servicing fluids comprising a composite material and methods of making and using same.
2. Background
Natural resources such as gas, oil, and water residing in a subterranean formation or zone are usually recovered by drilling a wellbore down to the subterranean formation while circulating a drilling fluid in the wellbore. After terminating the circulation of the drilling fluid, a string of pipe, e.g., casing, is run in the wellbore. The drilling fluid is then usually circulated downward through the interior of the pipe and upward through the annulus, which is located between the exterior of the pipe and the walls of the wellbore. Next, primary cementing is typically performed whereby a cement slurry is placed in the annulus and permitted to set into a hard mass (i.e., sheath) to thereby attach the string of pipe to the walls of the wellbore and seal the annulus. The main objectives of primary cementing operations include zonal isolation to prevent migration of fluids in the annulus, support for the casing or liner string, and protection of the casing string from corrosive formation fluids. Subsequent secondary cementing operations may also be performed to repair primary-cementing problems and/or to treat conditions arising after the wellbore has been constructed.
A particular challenge in cementing is the development of satisfactory mechanical properties in a cement slurry within a reasonable time period. During the life of a well, the subterranean cement sheath undergoes numerous strains and stresses as a result of a variety of factors such as alterations in temperature and pressure. The ability to withstand these strains and stresses is directly related to the mechanical properties of the cement. The mechanical properties of a cement are often characterized using parameters such as compressive strength, tensile strength, Young's Modulus, Poisson's Ratio, and the like. These properties may be modified by the inclusion of additives. For example, weighting agents can be used to increase slurry densities in high pressure formations to ensure the set cement sheath has a sufficient compressive strength and may exhibit long-term structural integrity. In some instances, fluid loss additives such as synthetic polymers, which are typically lower density materials compared to the weighting agent additives described previously, may be included to retain water and maintain one or more user-desired slurry properties
One challenge to the inclusion of such additives in the wellbore servicing fluids is the effect the range of densities of the additives on the homogeneity of the fluid. The differing densities of additives may result in non-uniform density distribution in the wellbore servicing fluids (e.g., cement slurries). For example, high density additives may tend to settle to the lower portion of the cement slurry while low density additives tend to float around the upper portion. Thus, a need exists for a methodology to inhibit and/or eliminate the settling and/or floating of materials (e.g., additives) within a wellbore servicing fluid.